Duty and Heart
by Bent Rose Standing Tall
Summary: Set decades before the films when clarrise and Rupert have been married about 15 years Clarrise realised long ago that she had fallen in love with Joseph, someone who knows her better than most has discovered her secret, can they open the door for her to be truly happy, will Clarissa let heself put her heart Ahead of her duty, Please review


Clarisse walked into the outer room of her husbands office, over breakfast he had requested she come to his office mid morning. Clarisse had been surprised at the request. Usually they discussed household matters over meals or in one of their suites in the evening, and Clarisse was t aware of any official matters that needed discussing urgently. Of course it was always possible that there was something new which Rupert wanted her I put in. But if that were the case he would usually have told her a little about it when arranging the meeting.

Joseph, the royal head of security and the queens personal bodyguard entered the room behind her and noted with interest that the kings secularly who was generally a permenent fixture in this outer office was not at his desk. King Rupert however was, he was sat in an armchair against one wall and stood smiling warmly as the queen entered.

"Ah Clarisse my dear. Excellent." He glanced at the clock on the wall "spot on as always"

They all chuckled lightly.

The king walked discretely to the outer door and turned the lock which piqued Josephs interest, then the king turned to address Joseph

"I would like you to wait out here. Please Make yourself comfortable"

"Yes sir" Joseph acknowledged then added "Thank you sir"

He made his way to the armchair the king had vacated and sat down, he kept a book in his inside pocket for the occasions within the palace when the surroundings were secure enough to not need his full attention and he removed the book now and opened it.

Rupert lead Clarrie through the inner door and into his office. After holding the door open for her he shut and locked it.

"Make yourself comfortable my dear" he said gesturing to the high backed armchair on the near side of the desk, Clarisse sat in the large chair and Rupert rounded the desk sitting in his own high backed seat.

He leant on the table casually being careful not to allow Clarisse to notice as he, seemingly accidentally, rested his hand on the intercom button opening the Chanel between this room and the outer office.

"I need to talk you you about something serious"

In the outer room Joseph looked up sharply, automatically refocusing on the unexpected sound and quickly tracing it to the small intercom speaker on the desk of the kings secretary.

"About what dear"

Joseph decided that he should knock and tell the king that he could hear their conversation but the next words he heard made him hesitate

"About Joseph" came the kings voice

"What about him dear" Replied the queen

"I've seen the way the two of you look at each other"

Joseph froze

"I don't know what your talking about" said Clarisse defensively

"Yes you do" the king said sternly "you don't need to deny it" he continued more softly "I'm not upset"

"Your not?" gasped the queen

"No. Look Clarrie, you might be my wife but we both know that we aren't in love. What you are is my best friend. I want you to be happy."

He paused and looked at the queens flabbergasted face. This wasn't going as well as he had hoped but if he was honest it was going about how he had expected.

"As I said I've seen the way you and Jospeh look at each other when you think nobody is looking."

Clarisse. Opened her mouth to speak but the king held up a hank and she fell silent letting him continue

"I'm not criticising you you are very discrete and I'm certain that nobody else would understand the looks you share even if they did see them but I know you better that mother people, well enough to understand those looks. And well that's the reason I wanted to speak to you today"

He paused for a moment but kept his hand up to let Clarisse know that he wasn't finished.

"I want you to know that I know" he continued "and well what I really want to say is that if you want to have something with him, if the two of you want to have something with each other, then,,,, we'll then I give you my blessing"

He lifted his other hand interlace his fingers and placed his hands down in the disk in front of him. the intercom switched off. In the outer room it registered dimly in Joseph's stunned brain the realisation that the king hadn't pressed the button by accident. He had wanted Joseph to hear what he said to Clarisse.

Back in the kings office the royal couple stared at each other for several minutes until the queen finally found her voice.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing" stammered Clarisse "you cant possibly be serious"

"I am serious my dear. I don't see why you should be unhappy because of the technicality of being married to me"

"I'm not unhappy"

"Not as a whole no. But you are at times

"What makes you think That"

"I've seen it in your face, in quiet moments, when the hustle and bustle of daily life has died down, when you are sitting quietly you look up from whatever you are doing and glance at him. And I see in your face how you see him as so near and yet so far away and it makes you sad."

The queen could not honestly deny that so she chose not to answer.

"Being married you You is far more than a technicality"

"Not in this it isn't, our marriage was arranged, you were chosen for me because you had the qualities of a good queen, and because we had been good friends since childhood, we were intended to be a good team, our marriage was simply the for alisation of that team love was not considered."

"But" Clarisse was at a los for words. This was the last thing she had expected when she had entered Rupert office

"I know this is a lot to take in but please think about it."

"Alright I will" she conceded

"Thank you my dear"

Rupert glanced at the clock then did a double take

"Good grief we've been in here far longer than I was expecting. You need to be getting on. You have a lunch with the head of the children's home in half an hour,"

Clarrise looked at the clock herself

"Indeed I do" she replied standing quickly.

"I will see you this evening at diner" she added as she headed for the door

"See you then my dear"

The queen left the room her head spinning wildly, possibilities exploded in her mind when she saw Jospeh, but she quickly shut down any such thoughts pulling herself and her mind into th role of queen, she could think about this later right now she had duties to perform. She swept out of the outer room quickly, heading towards the limo waiting outside the front doors, her bodyguard as always following silently two steps behind.

Clarisse walked into the outer room of her husbands office, over breakfast he had requested she come to his office mid morning. Clarisse had been surprised at the request. Usually they discussed household matters over meals or in one of their suites in the evening, and Clarisse was t aware of any official matters that needed discussing urgently. Of course it was always possible that there was something new which Rupert wanted her I put in. But if that were the case he would usually have told her a little about it when arranging the meeting.

Joseph, the royal head of security and the queens personal bodyguard entered the room behind her and noted with interest that the kings secularly who was generally a permenent fixture in this outer office was not at his desk. King Rupert however was, he was sat in an armchair against one wall and stood smiling warmly as the queen entered.

"Ah Clarisse my dear. Excellent." He glanced at the clock on the wall "spot on as always"

They all chuckled lightly.

The king walked discretely to the outer door and turned the lock which piqued Josephs interest, then the king turned to address Joseph

"I would like you to wait out here. Please Make yourself comfortable"

"Yes sir" Joseph acknowledged then added "Thank you sir"

He made his way to the armchair the king had vacated and sat down, he kept a book in his inside pocket for the occasions within the palace when the surroundings were secure enough to not need his full attention and he removed the book now and opened it.

Rupert lead Clarrie through the inner door and into his office. After holding the door open for her he shut and locked it.

"Make yourself comfortable my dear" he said gesturing to the high backed armchair on the near side of the desk, Clarisse sat in the large chair and Rupert rounded the desk sitting in his own high backed seat.

He leant on the table casually being careful not to allow Clarisse to notice as he, seemingly accidentally, rested his hand on the intercom button opening the Chanel between this room and the outer office.

"I need to talk you you about something serious"

In the outer room Joseph looked up sharply, automatically refocusing on the unexpected sound and quickly tracing it to the small intercom speaker on the desk of the kings secretary.

"About what dear"

Joseph decided that he should knock and tell the king that he could hear their conversation but the next words he heard made him hesitate

"About Joseph" came the kings voice

"What about him dear" Replied the queen

"I've seen the way the two of you look at each other"

Joseph froze

"I don't know what your talking about" said Clarisse defensively

"Yes you do" the king said sternly "you don't need to deny it" he continued more softly "I'm not upset"

"Your not?" gasped the queen

"No. Look Clarrie, you might be my wife but we both know that we aren't in love. What you are is my best friend. I want you to be happy."

He paused and looked at the queens flabbergasted face. This wasn't going as well as he had hoped but if he was honest it was going about how he had expected.

"As I said I've seen the way you and Jospeh look at each other when you think nobody is looking."

Clarisse. Opened her mouth to speak but the king held up a hank and she fell silent letting him continue

"I'm not criticising you you are very discrete and I'm certain that nobody else would understand the looks you share even if they did see them but I know you better that mother people, well enough to understand those looks. And well that's the reason I wanted to speak to you today"

He paused for a moment but kept his hand up to let Clarisse know that he wasn't finished.

"I want you to know that I know" he continued "and well what I really want to say is that if you want to have something with him, if the two of you want to have something with each other, then,,,, we'll then I give you my blessing"

He lifted his other hand interlace his fingers and placed his hands down in the disk in front of him. the intercom switched off. In the outer room it registered dimly in Joseph's stunned brain the realisation that the king hadn't pressed the button by accident. He had wanted Joseph to hear what he said to Clarisse.

Back in the kings office the royal couple stared at each other for several minutes until the queen finally found her voice.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing" stammered Clarisse "you cant possibly be serious"

"I am serious my dear. I don't see why you should be unhappy because of the technicality of being married to me"

"I'm not unhappy"

"Not as a whole no. But you are at times

"What makes you think That"

"I've seen it in your face, in quiet moments, when the hustle and bustle of daily life has died down, when you are sitting quietly you look up from whatever you are doing and glance at him. And I see in your face how you see him as so near and yet so far away and it makes you sad."

The queen could not honestly deny that so she chose not to answer.

"Being married you You is far more than a technicality"

"Not in this it isn't, our marriage was arranged, you were chosen for me because you had the qualities of a good queen, and because we had been good friends since childhood, we were intended to be a good team, our marriage was simply the for alisation of that team love was not considered."

"But" Clarisse was at a los for words. This was the last thing she had expected when she had entered Rupert office

"I know this is a lot to take in but please think about it."

"Alright I will" she conceded

"Thank you my dear"

Rupert glanced at the clock then did a double take

"Good grief we've been in here far longer than I was expecting. You need to be getting on. You have a lunch with the head of the children's home in half an hour,"

Clarrise looked at the clock herself

"Indeed I do" she replied standing quickly.

"I will see you this evening at diner" she added as she headed for the door

"See you then my dear"

The queen left the room her head spinning wildly, possibilities exploded in her mind when she saw Jospeh, but she quickly shut down any such thoughts pulling herself and her mind into th role of queen, she could think about this later right now she had duties to perform. She swept out of the outer room quickly, heading towards the limo waiting outside the front doors, her bodyguard as always following silently two steps behind.


End file.
